19 September 2022
The Department of Health and Aged Care has provided the following information about changes to the onboarding process for the COVID-19 vaccine program, for new sites and existing sites interested in new vaccine types, following the addition of Moderna Bivalent for those 18 years and over (Blue/Green) to the program.
Please note:
Changes to onboarding process
- Moving forward, all ongoing vaccine types will be offered to new sites entering the program, with the provision to offboard after eight weeks of inaction.
- Onboarding allocations will be changed to minimum allocations.
- Onboarding of new practices or existing practices for new vaccine types will be actioned fortnightly from this week.
- Last week, only existing practices newly interested in Pfizer 12 years and over, Pfizer five to 11 years and Novavax were onboarded. Sites wanting Moderna will be onboarded this week with a Moderna Bivalent for those 18 years and over (Blue/Green)
Vaccine Allocations
- With the move from mass vaccinations to a more opportunistic model, allocation increases will be paused while demand is reassessed.
Vaccine Waste Management Emails
- The department will no longer send out Vaccine Waste Management emails.
- Enhancements have been made to COVID Vaccine Administrative System (CVAS) to include wastage controls. From now on when a site attempts to place a new order, CVAS will perform wastage control checks. If it is determined the site meets the metrics for wastage controls, the site will be required to provide a reason for requesting further stock and the order will require approval from the Taskforce. This is similar to the current approval process in CVAS for sites holding excess stock.
Consumables
- Work is underway to identify primary care sites which have been over ordering consumables, in comparison to their vaccine orders. Similar to the Vaccine Waste Management emails, PHNs will be provided with a list of identified sites to have communications sent to them about excess consumable ordering.
Moderna Bivalent
- As advised in the Provider Bulletin dated 13 September 2022, all sites participating in the vaccine program will be onboarded in tranches for Moderna Bivalent Original/Omicron vaccine (Moderna Bivalent for those 18 years and over (Blue/Green)).
- All sites will receive an ongoing allocation of 100 doses of Moderna Bivalent for those 18 years and over (Blue/Green).
- If sites do not complete the site declaration and place an order within eight weeks, they will be deactivated for Moderna Bivalent in CVAS.
- Sites will be able to onboard again in the future via the standing EOI process through PHNs.
VCF
- Due to complaints from the public, a review has been completed of Vaccine Clinic Finder (VCF) and sites no longer active for AstraZeneca have been inactivated. Further reviews will be conducted for the other vaccine types. Please update your details using VFC Connect so accurate data is showing on VCF for the public.
- If a site has not already registered for VCF Connect, please refer to the registration email you received from this email address: PCDVCF@health.gov.au. This was sent to the contact nominated on the CVAS and is the person in your organisation who will have signed the declaration forms for your service to participate in the vaccine rollout and place orders for COVID-19 vaccines in CVAS.